Guide to Becoming a Certified Alcohol Training Provider: One-Hour Training

The Purpose of RASS

Before submitting a training program for approval, understand the following:

RASS is the required training for all sellers and servers of alcohol in the state of Montana. This requirement is a law in the Montana Code Annotated, Title 16, Chapter 4, Part 10. As part of the requirements, individuals who sell and serve alcohol and their direct supervisors have 60 days from being hired to take an approved RASS training.

Those who sell alcohol for off-premises consumption are required to take a one-hour training with an exam at the end and pass the exam with at least a score of 80%. The department provides the exam questions.

The training must include key information from both the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) and the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM). This guide will help navigate the required information and how it must be presented.

A successful RASS training program will provide the knowledge necessary for any new seller of alcohol, even when there is no current knowledge of alcohol rules and regulations.

Requirements for Being a Provider

As a provider, the department's requirements must be met. This includes:

• A professional platform to provide training
• Weekly submissions to the department for those who have been trained
• Research failed compliance checks from individuals who took the training, and report back to the department
• Montana-focused scenarios for difficult alcohol situations (see below)
• Focus on alcohol liability
• Meet the minimum time requirement of 60 minutes. The final exam and any internal quizzes/knowledge checks are not included within those 60 minutes.
• Provide information that is informative about responsibility, not focused on prevention

Minimum Scenarios

The training must provide Montana-focused scenarios for difficult alcohol situations. The scenarios must be interactive, or videos focused on situations that apply to the Montana alcohol industry.

Note: This 1-hour training should not provide references for selling or consuming open container alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.

What Needs to Be Included

RASS is a multi-part training designed to prevent the sale of alcohol to intoxicated persons and persons under the age of 21; to use proper ID methods; understand the rules and regulations; personal and licensee liability; and to serve the individual's community in a supportive way. More information can be found at the links below.

Training Format

Each training will be unique; the department requires certain sections to ensure effective training focused on Montana sellers of alcoholic beverages.

Introduction to the Training (approximately 5 minutes)

• Explain what it means to be a professional and responsible seller of alcohol
• Why is it important to take RASS training
• A quick overview of Montana's history of legal alcohol sales and model for a control state, including the end of prohibition and the control system

Key points about Montana's control system:

• Montana controls the flow of liquor through the state liquor warehouse and 95 agency liquor stores
• Beer and wine are distributed by distributors directly to on-premises and off-premises licensees
• All places that sell alcohol in Montana must be licensed by the department

Rules and Regulations for Montana (approximately 40 minutes)

No Selling to Intoxicated Individuals

• Penalties
• Liability for the employee and the employer
• Harms: accidents and deaths; an individual can harm themselves and others; DUIs
• Benefits of responsibility: supporting your community; keeping the customer community safe
• Intoxication can be from any drug: legal cannabis, prescriptions, or illegal drugs
• Scenario(s) (off-premises)

No Selling or Serving to Individuals Under the Age of 21

• Consequences
• Harms to the licensee (quick reference): legal and administrative
• Harms to the community
• Scenario(s) (third-party delivery and off-premises)

Liability

• Dram Shop/Civil
• Criminal
• Administrative

Miscellaneous Rules and Regulations

• Location manager
• Time change
• Hours when alcohol can be sold
• Must be 18 years old to sell open container alcoholic beverages
• Public nuisance

Proper Ways to ID Customers (approximately 5 minutes)

An ID must be government-issued, have a photo, have a date of birth, and be unaltered.

Expired IDs are acceptable because they are not issued for the purpose of purchasing alcohol. Montana does not define "valid" in law or rule pertaining to purchasing alcoholic beverages.

• Fake IDs: interview the customer for slip-ups. The business may want to talk with their local law enforcement jurisdiction for guidance on what to do with fake IDs.
• Tribal IDs in Montana
• Scenario(s) (off-premises)

Incident Reports (approximately 3 minutes)

Record any situation when alcohol sale was refused. Reports should be immediate, since people tend to forget details. An incident report:

• May need to be used as supportive evidence for a law enforcement investigation
• May be used to show the establishment and server were not involved with selling and/or serving an underage or intoxicated person
• Helps with liability

Compliance Checks (approximately 3 minutes)

• A failure could result in the loss of employment
• A failure could result in court costs and fines
• Compliance checks are conducted by local law enforcement, not by the department

Conclusion (approximately 4 minutes)

Highlight what the training is about:

• Don't sell to intoxicated individuals
• Don't sell to underage
• Understand the liability
• Be a responsible seller for your community

Additional information may be added. However, it must pertain to Montana and Montana laws.

Submitting Your Training

The department will review your training after it is submitted and provide reasons for any changes.